Boomer Grigsby Q&A: Short Week for Chiefs

Nick Athan

10/20/2005

In our weekly series with Kansas City Chiefs middle linebacker Boomer Grigsby we take one last look at the Redskins victory and the short week preparing for the Dolphins. Plus Boomer answers questions directly from Warpaint Illustrated members.

Q. Nick Athan - Did the bye week help you in preparing for the Washington Redskins?

A. Boomer Grigsby - "I mean it was good to be back and focus in. It made everyone feel good to get their legs back under them a little bit. Maybe get a little more mentally prepared. Having six days in a row off allowed us to get our mind and body in shape. I think that really helped us because we had our stamina in the fourth quarter against Washington."

Q. Nick Athan How difficult a task is it to prepare for the Dolphins with a short week of practice?

A. Boomer Grigsby - "We prepare the exact same way that we prepare for any game we play on Sunday. We're looking at it like sometimes we might have some distractions. You have to be like who cares. Coach Vermeil is really good at handling things like that. He's reminding us about that and he stresses that it does not matter who, where or what time we play."

Q. Stew 78 - Who is the joker of the team, who loosens the tension?

A. Boomer Grigsby - "Shawn Barber is a very entertaining personality and so are Jared Allen and Eric Hicks. But the funniest guy on the team, who does not try to be funny, but it comes out in his natural personality and that's Gary Stills."

Q. Sonicman - Congrats on your first NFL tackle and I look forward to seeing many more. What is the biggest difference between college level and NFL level special teams?

A. Boomer Grigsby - "Speed. In college you can run down field and lock up then look around. I'm a pretty fast guy and compared to returners in college you could run across the field and level them. But in the NFL the kick returners are such unbelievable athletes. It's taken me time to get used to that. You have to know your responsibility and where to be but you have to flat out get to the ball. Because I was concentrating on my responsibility I was not getting to the ball as well as I usually do. I had quite a few tackles early in the preseason on defense and special teams. But early on I missed some in the regular season and I had to learn to change my game plan and sometimes you have to go outside of your lane to make a tackle."

Q. M. Groves - What are team meetings like? None of us have been to them. Is it like a business meeting or a lecture?

A. Boomer Grigsby - "Obviously there is a certain degree of respect but it depends. When Coach Vermeil is talking for ten or fifteen minutes everyone is quiet. But he might say something funny or every now and then someone in the crowd might say something. Depending on the level in the room whether it's more relaxed meeting or it's quite serious, one of the veterans might say something to go along with what he's saying and the whole room might crack up laughing. I wouldn't say we have a great time in meetings they are very serious but it's not always 100% business all the time. It depends on the mood in the room and what we're trying to accomplish."

Q. Big Nash - Has the coaching staff talked about getting you playing time on the field with the defense this year or next?

A. Boomer Grigsby - "No we don't talk about that. In college that's the way it works because it's a cycle to push people through. But it's not that way in the NFL. It's about having the best guys out there that do the best jobs at the time. I really don't know enough about the politics. Sometimes it's about how much money you have tied up into people and you have to free up money and someone has to fill a spot. It's my first year so I'm just going with it. Right now my role is the second string middle linebacker and the starter in goal line situations. That means I go in when the ball is on the one or two yard line if they are in the right personnel groupings. I might get more opportunities in the future. I don't think it's because they don't trust me. I think they trust me plenty and they know I can do a good enough job. But Kawika Mitchell is doing a great job and having a great year. He has the range. I hope to go the same way he does and get better. When the opportunity presents itself then I'll seize it. My time will come."

Q. DenverChiefsFan - What do you fell it is going to take to make this team more than just a special teams guy?

A. Boomer Grigsby - "I have to continue to grow and learn the fine details of the game. Knowing exactly what's coming at me. When I see certain pass routes that I know what other routes are happening behind me or what's about to happen so I can predict things. In college I would go to a spot. In the NFL I have to react how a route is being run. That comes with experience and getting off blocks with bigger guy and knowing how to read things. But that comes with time and experience."